Japan's Princess Ayako renounces her royal status when she marries groom Kei Moriya

When the smiling couple entered the shrine, the crowd congratulated them on the Japanese word "Banzai," meaning a auspicious desire for longevity. Close family members and friends greeted the bride and groom on their way to the ceremonial hall.

Princess Ayako wore a bright yellow, embroidered with pink flowers and green leaves Uchiki kimono and a deep purple Hakama – wide-arched, pleated pants that reaches to the ankles. She also wore a fan of Japanese cypress, called hiugi. Moriya wore a black Western-style dressing gown, gray pinstripe trousers, and a silk hat that belonged to Ayako's late father, Prince Takamodo.

Ayakos Kimono is similar in style and design to that of her sister Princess Noriko Kunimaro Senge in 201

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28-year-old Princess Ayako is the youngest child of Princess Hisako and the late Prince Takamodo, cousin of Emperor Akihito. According to the imperial law of Japan, female members of the royal family lose their title, status, and pocket money if they choose to marry someone who has no royal or aristocratic family ties. The same rule does not apply to male members of the royal family.

Before the ceremony began, Ayako changed her kimono into a more formal shinto. Style robe. She wore a red kouchiki, a "small cape" with long, wide sleeves, and a long brown petticoat named Naga-Bakama.

The ceremony itself was a private affair attended only by close family members. Inside, the couple performed several rituals highlighting a Shinto-style wedding, including the exchange of wedding shawls and the presentation of a sacred Tamagushi branch as an offering. The bride and groom would also have exchanged vows and rings.

After the closing prayer, the couple came as a husband and wife from the sanctuary. Moriya said his new wife looked "nice" when they answered questions from reporters. "I would like to support them and build a happy family with a lot of laughter hand in hand," he said.

"I'm impressed with how happy I am," said Ayako. Already at a young age Ayako said that she was taught that it was her duty to support the emperor and the empress. "I will leave the imperial family today, but I will remain unchanged in my support for His Majesty and Her Majesty," she said.

The shrine in which the ceremony took place is of great symbolic significance. The Meiji Shrine was opened in 1920 and is dedicated to the consecrated souls of Ayako's great-great-grandfather, Emperor Meiji, and his wife, Empress Shoken.

"I am very happy that we celebrated the wedding in this Meiji Shrine, where my great-grandfather Meiji-Kaiser is worshiped," said Ayako. "I'm so happy."

Ayoko's marriage and his resignation from royal duties come at a difficult time for the world's oldest monarchy. The popular emperor of the country, Akihitio, announced that he would abdicate on 30 April 2019 and the chrysanthemum throne will be handed over to his son Crown Prince Naruhito. The imperial law states that the throne must be passed on to male heirs, and since Naruhito has only one son, 12-year-old Prince Hisahito alone could take responsibility for leading the royal lineage.

Akihitio's abdication and the imminent wedding of his granddaughter, Princess Mako, led to a debate about the role of women in the Japanese monarchy and whether imperial law should change so that women can inherit the throne.

"It is a reasonable option and necessary in terms of risk management, but the conservative elite conservatives, despite strong public support for female succession "said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan and author of the upcoming book Japan .

Unlike in the United Kingdom, where Queen Elizabeth allowed changes to royal succession to equality, the sons and daughters of British monarchs got to inherit the throne, officials in Japan have ruled out a similar move.

An abdication law allowing Akihito's resignation was passed without a resolution, which calls into question whether women who marry outside the family must revoke their royal rights.

"Apparently they take no inspiration from Queen Elizabeth … and flee behind stupid patriarchal justifications because they do not," Kingston said. "The law will only change if absolutely necessary."